“They effectively roost at sea at night,” says Jim Rivers, a professor at OSU and one of the project leads. So far, the teams have caught 17 murrelets. Nelson and Rivers hope for at least 30—their permit allows up to 100—but they will take whatever they can get.
The forests around this research site south of Roseburg, Oregon, are slowly coming back from the 50-thousand acre Douglas Complex Fire that burned in 2013. But in the meantime, OSU researcher Sara Galbraith has turned those blackened forests into a massive laboratory.
"My advice for future student interns is simply to take every opportunity presented to you. The experience that you have, the people you meet, and the ways that you improve yourself during an international internship are invaluable and will help shape the person that you will be in your professional and personal life."
"I see myself working internationally as a professional."
"When I made the decision to go to Madagascar, I was a student taking all my classes online. Studying online is very convenient and I mostly love it, but when you are studying subjects like wildlife and natural resources, there is something lost when you spend a lot of time indoors in front of a computer. You can read books and watch documentaries about a place, but it’s not quite the same as physically being there."
"My friends in other majors always complain about their labs because they are long and involve a lot of standing in one place for hours on end. In the forest engineering degree program, labs are something I look forward to. They usually involve driving out to Peavy Arboretum, hiking around and learning about the forest, its resources and how to use tools and instruments. Being outside makes me excited to learn."
"During my time in the natural resources program, I’ve been able to work in the Amazon with fungi I’ve never seen before and tree species I didn’t know existed. I don’t know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I know studying natural resources will give me the knowledge necessary to pursue a number of different careers."
"My goal is to enjoy going to work every day and to feel like I’m making a positive difference in my community."
"I’m an avid outdoorswoman, and the renewable materials program gives you the opportunity to gain real-world experiences and understanding in your field. Everyone can get a degree, but not everyone can apply their knowledge to the rest of their lives."
"Picking that perfect tree out in the field, deciding what to build and how to construct it and then watching it all come together into a finished product is a rewarding experience."
